


Episode IX: Rise of the Dyad

by Angelic_Hellraiser



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben actually faces Palpatine, Bendemption, Chewie and Ben moment, Dark Rey struggles, Dyad partners kicking ass, F/M, Finn and Ben moments, Jannah's intro and origins are changed, Lando and Ben moment, Leia offers counsel to Rey but Rey trains herself, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Stormtrooper Jannah, TRoS Fix-it-fic, creepy palpatine influence, full-on rogue Ben Solo piloting his daddy's ship, lando's backstory with luke has more relevance, maz helps rey with her training but like leia only offers counsel, no Jedi Leia, real trio moments. that's right i'm talking about ben+rey+finn, she is a force sensitive born to unloving parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 11:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21899347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelic_Hellraiser/pseuds/Angelic_Hellraiser
Summary: "Rey never talked about it, but I've always wondered. How in the hell did she kill the Supreme Leader?" Finn asks.Kylo's anger flares, though not at thequestion. "I'd be careful with what I say. I'm not the one held prisoner here," he replies crisply, the modulated tone of his mask echoing in the red room."That doesn't answer my question."-This isn't just a TROS fix-it-fic. This is a TROS rewrite. Read tags for what to expect.
Relationships: Ben Solo/Rey, Finn/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 119
Kudos: 182





	1. Wraiths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** This project is mostly for me to cope with the bullshit we were given when all of us know DAMN well Ben was originally supposed to live. I don't feel I'm particularly good at canon SW lore. I don't have a beta. There are errors and I can't devote a lot of time to this because I have novels I'm working on, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless~ o/
> 
> **IMPORTANT:** Idk if i can cram all the things in the tags into this fic (ex. Ben getting all his moments with key characters connected to his family), but I'm damn well gonna try!

* * *

* * *

Stars in the vacuum of space glisten from the convex windows of a sterile white room. A single man occupies this room, his wide shadow cast below him as he hovers, cross-legged and eyes drifted shut. The Force hums lowly, spaced in tandem with his long, slow breaths as objects float around him like small satellites around a planetary body. The ether offers him little cooperation this morning. He supposes it shouldn’t come as a surprise with the mounting chaos between the First Order and the Resistance. The pendulum can only swing so far in one direction. This he knows as well. Soon, gravity will call it back in the opposite direction. And what then? 

  
Somewhere on the ship, he senses General Hux's thoughts. He desires to speak with him. Imminently. 

  
Kylo maintains his position in midair, choosing to ignore the general for the moment. He concentrates, willing the calmness of meditation deep into his bones and pushes at the boundaries of consciousness. He has tried for months to unlock the curious connection between himself and the scavenger — known among the First Order only as the Jedi murderess of the late Supreme Leader Snoke — yet for months, he has failed. She evades him no matter how far into the ether he dares, whispering along the strings of their bond like a spider, so careful, so quiet. A frustrated sigh escapes his lips as the Vader mask spins lazily before him, rising to hover in front of his face. He scarcely notices as it stops its spinning entirely because, at that moment, a whimper trickles to him from a distant corner of the universe. He strains, pinpointing the sound. 

  
_There!_ In the further recesses of space — a fissure. He pries at it, digging his hooks in and refusing to allow it to seep closed. _It’s her. It’s her!_ He can almost smell the crackling impatience and rippling sunlight on the other side, causing his excitement to nearly get the better of him. He slips, and the fissure rips itself from his mind’s grasp. Protective walls instantly scramble up from the depths of her subconscious and he rushes forward, pushing hard and fast to launch himself through before she can slam her defenses shut.

  
He succeeds, focusing all his energy on chasing after the chaotic spark of her mind. She’s dreaming, Kylo realizes. He allows his heart a moment to calm as he sinks into the sequence of images, letting them materialize through his mind’s eye. Light flickers on a blue rock surface. Thunder rumbles. The shadows around her, creeping silhouettes of moving things that ease closer. Closer. 

  
Her fear is palpable, a fast-beating animal in her chest that makes his own heart race to catch up. She ignites her saberstaff and Kylo is momentarily taken by surprise. It is not the cool tranquil blue of Anakin Skywalker’s saber, but gold. The color of a sentinel.

  
A shadow moves in the dark out of the corner of Rey’s eye and she halts. Her heart hammers in her throat and Kylo feels his physical body reacting, the muscles in his neck aching with every new breath. The fear she feels, however, is not new. She has had this dream before. 

  
The golden light casts her face in desert hues as she glares wide-eyed into the stygian gloom and her hands begin to tremble. Somewhere beyond her, a deep, rhythmic chanting begins. The words are garbled and impossible to make out, but the tone is unmistakable. Kylo scowls in frustration, knowing he will reveal himself to her if he pushes any harder against her subconscious. But this dream…

  
The shadow finally steps forward, tall, hooded in black and emanating corruption. Kylo quells the sudden urgency that ripples over his body and he remains in the mind, subduing the animal impulse to move, to attack. Rey heaves a steadying breath and twirls her weapon.

  
“Who are you?!” she demands.

  
It gives no reply.

  
Rey makes as if she might strike, but it is a bluff, one borne out of visceral fear. “Answer me!” she roars.  
The shadow stands perfectly silent, perfectly still. 

  
“What do you want?!”

  
Nothing. 

Kylo senses his own fear spike and Rey’s awareness abruptly shifts, centering on him with shock and horrified anger. Before either of them can react, the bond flares so powerfully it takes both of them by surprise and Rey screams as an invisible energy yanks her off her feet. The hooded figure launches forward with this attack, closing around her like the wings of a bat and Kylo panics as he feels her own terror spiral out of control.

Rey screams one last time.

Then, the bond goes dead silent. 

  
Kylo's heavy breathing punctuates that silence as he waits, frozen on the other end of their connection. This is the first time he has successfully connected with the scavenger of Jakku after months of static and this dream — it is darkness. Pure darkness. And Kylo has sensed its signature before… somewhere.  


_“My boy.” _

  
The hairs on the nape of his neck stand at attention and his back goes ramrod straight. Whatever dark entity had plagued Rey’s dream has followed him straight to his own mind. _“I have always been here inside your head.”_ It replies. 

  
The voice is guttural, almost growling, and its signature within the Force is heavy, as if a purulent wound bloated with disease. It runs a shiver down his spine and he inhales sharply, focusing on his breath. But fear gets the better of him and his eyes snap open. He finds himself looking through his grandfather’s mask, held perfectly still before his face when he sees —

  
The vision leaps out at him like a coiled serpent and he lurches back, breaking concentration and falling onto the hard, slick floor. The previously floating objects clatter down around him and he emits a curse under his breath, his heart in his throat. He gathers himself hastily and rushes to his feet, adrenaline pumping through his veins. His fingers flex, calling his lightsaber to himself and he ignites it on instinct. 

He had seen a face with the vision. _Who?_

_"Ben!" _

His father's voice echoes from behind him and he whirls around... but he is only greeted by the pristine white wall of his chambers. He is alone. 

  
General Hux’s nasally tone suddenly interrupts over the room-comm. “Supreme Leader! You wanted to be informed when any new information on the Millenium Falcon surfaced. It has been spotted on one of the moons in the Pantora System. Along with FN-2187.” 

Kylo's head snaps up. The first movement they've heard of them in months. She's done quite a job of hiding from him. _Until now... _

  
"Prepare my ship," Kylo orders briskly.

.

\- o -

.

The nightmare plagues her, all day long through her waking hours as she works, as she studies, as she trains. Leia, who often offers her counsel, has been more distracted than usual. Though she would never ask it aloud, Rey has wondered if it has to do with _familial_ matters. She has not meant to think of such things lately but after last night... How the bond had opened so freely between them, the surge of power at that moment, even as the fear from the nightmare overwhelmed her, she'd felt—she shakes her head. 

Rey considers mentioning this to Maz. Perhaps talking about this bond to someone that isn't Leia, but someone aware of the Force, could help explain it? Rey bites her lip. Maz has helped so far with her training, at least where she can. This past year hasn't been easy, learning much of this on her own. Getting a secret like this off her chest would feel... _lighter_. A deeper part of her wants to confide it in Leia, but she ultimately decides against both options. Telling them about Kylo Ren would inevitably lead to admitting to the terrifying voice in her head, and she'd rather not discuss _that_ at all.

There are enough unanswered questions already. What could this possibly add to the equation? Why afflict the general with more worry?

"You're not concentrating." Maz's voice chides from below her. 

She opens her eyes, sighing. "I'm sorry." Around her, the floating chains of rock plummet to the ground with a defeated _thump-thumpthump-thump_, which only adds to her frustration.

Maz smirks. "You should keep your mind in the moment. What has you so distracted?"

"It's nothing," Rey replies smoothly and lets herself sink to the ground with a graceful spin.

"If _nothing_ has you this preoccupied, I'd hate to see what _something_ would do to your concentration."

Rey finds an interesting smudge on her boot. 

"Give yourself time Rey. The answers will come to you."

She shakes her head. "It's been a year," she murmurs. An entire year and she has only fumbled around like a child in the dark with her training. There were times she felt out of her element, that all of this — leaving Jakku, finding Luke, taking up the Jedi mantle — was a mistake. What if she isn't meant for this?

Maz's hand grasping hers brings Rey back to the present and she clears her throat. "I'll run the course." The course always helps alleviate some of her frustration. It's physical, visceral, and she finds that kind of power more attainable. 

Hopefully, Finn and the others will have returned by the time she completes the course. Rey has been expecting their arrival all afternoon. It will be nice to talk to them again. She has missed them. Pulling her saberstaff from her belt, she ignites it... and rushes into the thick of the trees.

.

\- o -

.

Poe still hasn’t returned.  


“Where is he?” Rose hisses impatiently.  


Finn shrugs. “Not sure.”  


“Do you think this spy is genuine?” She motions to R2-D2 who is currently hooked up to a card reader, translating said spy’s coded message.  


“Only one way to be certain. Besides, we’ve got little else to go on. What does the general think?”  


“She gave us this mission. That should tell us enough.” Rose offers, then shifts the subject. “What does Rey think?”  


Finn fixates on his hands, electing not to reply.   


“It’s been a year and we’re still surviving in the dark while the First Order bullies its way through the galaxy. We need to _do_ something.”  


Finn gets up to step past her and pull the card reader from R2 as he chirps its completion. “What we need… is a _miracle_.”  


“Miracles come when you least expect them and, if your general has taught me anything, it’s to believe in them regardless of the odds.” A voice across the room declares. His alien eyes blink at them expectantly as distant cracks sound from the glaciers surrounding the village.  


“How can we thank you, Boolio?” Finn inquires.  


He snorts, hopping down from his chair and proceeding into a nearby storage room, but not before throwing over his shoulder, “Win the war!”   


Finn opens his mouth to offer a snippy retort when blaster fire shrieks from outside and half of the structure’s wall collapses. He leaps out of the way, his elbow and left hip screaming in protest as they collide with the rock floor and he gasps. Dust and icy air slice down his throat, but he manages to bring himself to his feet. “Rose!” he shouts frantically.   


A hand comes out of the rubble and grasps his. “I’m okay! But — ”  


“Finn! Rose! You alright?”  


Finn’s chest swells with relief. “Poe! Yeah, we’re fine!”  


“We gotta move! Now!”  


“C’mon R2!” Rose yells.

More blaster fire whizzes passed them as they barrel into the street. R2 squeals frantically and he tries to keep up as, from behind, Boolio shouts to draw their pursuers' attention. Finn looks over his shoulder just in time to see return blaster fire and he prays for their friend to make it out of this alive. More stormtroopers pour out into the streets and Rose snatches his hand. He grips it tightly, reassured by its weight as they swing in tandem. 

"Break left!" Poe yells.

An explosion collapses the path in front of them and they skid through the snow, hurrying into a narrow alleyway. Finn checks over his shoulder again, giving a relieved bark as R2 keeps at their heels. "You're faster than you look!" he says with laughter. The droid replies, likely with some derogatory string of curses, but the group breaks off down another alley and Finn's attention fixates on a more urgent matter.

Rose spots it above the rooftops as well and she gasps in horror. "Kylo Ren's Upsilon!"

Poe hastily directs them into an abandoned storage building only to nearly send Finn back on his ass as the other man snaps to a halt. He turns to Rose at once. "You have to get R2 to the ship outside the village. We'll create a distraction."

She shakes her head furiously. "No way in hell — "

Finn clasps her shoulder, stopping her. "We'll be fine. We can't let them get R2."

Heavy boots clamp across the snow outside and the three look between one another. They only have seconds. 

"You better be fine," Rose growls, pulling him into a quick kiss before motioning to R2.

They exit out a back way from the building and Poe flashes a smirk at Finn. Finn returns it with a challenging glint in his eye. "Ready?"

"If you are."

Troopers barrel through the door and the two men open fire, Blaster bolts cutting through the air and casting the room in flickers of chaotic red. Sparks fly around them and Finn ducks down behind their cover, just missing a bolt meant for his skull. Spark fly around them and some catch in the neckline of his vest, burning the flesh of his neck. Poe grunts as he takes down two troopers only for five more to run in. Finn's eyes dart to the back exit with his heart wedged in his throat. They will be surrounded in a matter of seconds. They need to move.

"We gotta get out of here!" he shouts.

"I guess this wasn't such a good idea!" Poe replies, firing again.

Finn follows suit, ending an opponent before they can aim in on his friend. "Your ideas are never good."

"Shut up and come on!"

They make a break for the rear door with Finn laying down cover fire. As they hit the snow a fresh stab of pain ignites his shoulder and he lets out a pained yelp. Poe turns but he shakes his head. "Keep going! I'm okay! Go!"

Shadows cling heavily to the slanting houses and even narrower alleyways here. Poe choices one of the many pathways twisting before them. At least they have that at their advantage... for maybe a split second. Finn feels blood trickling from the wound, though it isn't deep. He was lucky.

Ahead of them, over the white-covered roofs, he can see the mountain pass where the Falcon hides. Just a little further and they'll be out of the village, but after that lies the open snow. He can only hope the stormtroopers and Kylo Ren will remain focused on the village. His mind flits quickly to Boolio. Is he alright? 

"We're gonna make it!" Poe hisses triumphantly as they reach a junction in the passage —

— only for Finn's blood to run cold with terror at the sight of a troop led by the acting Supreme Leader coming toward them from a neighboring alleyway. Finn acts at once, jerking Poe none too gently to the right and behind another set of crates. Having seen the approaching company, Poe wastes no time with arguing and hunkers down beside him. They both hold their breaths as the group steps into the junction, the rhythmic footfalls like the drumming of a gallows song to the trapped heroes. 

One look from Poe tells Finn all they need to know. They are trapped... with Kylo Ren standing between them and their way back to the Falcon. He glares at the bricked wall in front of him. The crates protecting them from view stink of fish. He hates the smell.

"Fan out. They can't have gotten far." Kylo Ren's modulated purr breaks the silence. 

"Yes, Supreme Leader. Check every corridor, every house! Move!"

Finn's heart graduates from his throat straight to the stars and he grips his blaster with rigid fingers. The sound of the junction dies again and he paces his breathing as best he can, controlling the sound. Beside him, Poe brings his blaster to his chest and appears as if he might peek out from behind the crates. Finn immediately buries his fingers into Poe's arm making the man bite back a sound of displeasure. The two glare at one another and Finn shakes his head. Poe replies with a sardonic pursing of the lips, mouthing the words._ "What then?!"_

_"I don't know!"_ Finn mouths back.

Footsteps draw near and Finn's heart spasms in panic. They're about to be found out. They're about to —

"No sign of them, Supreme Leader."

Kylo Ren's voice cuts through the air, _much_ too close for Finn's comfort. "Keep searching. She has to be here."

_Rey!_ Finn frowns. _That's why he's here._

_Good thing she isn't with them, then._

The silence stretches on forever.

Poe shifts restlessly, giving Finn the I'm-about-to-do-something-dumb expression. Finn shakes his head vigorously, feeling his own impatience almost get the better of him. Then, to his shocked relief, the footsteps fade quickly back to the opposite end of the junction, then entirely. Finn and Poe both let out a breath, but something worms at the back of Finn's mind. He isn't quite sure what it is, or what to make of it, but he shoves it away for later and dares a glance around the crates. _Empty. _

_Empty?_

Poe offers him a shrug. "Only one way to find out," he whispers.

Swallowing his doubt, Finn allows his partner a curt nod before leaping out from behind the crates and barreling for the edge of the village. They race through the buildings expecting any second to face blaster fire, or worse, a deadly Force user with an unstable lightsaber intent on having their heads. Finn's back tingles at the memory of its searing edge bisecting his flesh and he pushes faster, icy air whistling from his lungs. Beyond the village lies an open field of snow. No cover or protection. If they're spotted...

"Where are you?" Rose's voice crackles over the comm. 

"Almost there!" Finn pants back to her as he and Poe take on the thick snow, sinking to their knees as they go.

"If we get caught out here...!" Poe snarls.

"Just keep going!" Finn snaps.

An explosion booms from behind them as shouts of chaos rise from the village. Finn's heart sinks at the realization that Boolio's people are creating a distraction for them. But they cannot turn back. If they do, then Boolio's efforts would be for not. The Falcon would be found and the mission would be a failure. Gritting his teeth against the shame that permeates his being, Finn runs harder, growling as he hastens through the snow to the narrow pass.

The Falcon appears through the gloom at the edge of a cliff on the other side of the gap between the hulking mountains of ice. Rose stands at the ramp, her hands waving frantically. "C'mon! We're out of time! Their beginning a sweep through the mountains!"

Poe rushes up the ramp without a backward glance and heads straight for the cockpit. 

"Have they spotted us?" Finn asks Rose as the ramp closes behind him and the Falcon's engines roar to life.

"No, but their static mentioned Supreme Leader Ren."

"He came looking for Rey." Finn murmurs, nursing his injured arm. 

Rose takes him to the galley, her hands already fussing at his sleeve to ascertain the damage. "Did he do this to you?" she demands sharply. 

He shakes his head. "No."

Chewie's growls echo from the cockpit with Poe's argumentative tone seconds later and the Falcon jumps to lightspeed. Finn sits silently as Rose tends to his arm, his thoughts drifting back to that long pause of silence as he and Poe had crouched behind those fish-smelling crates like defenseless rabbits. Ren had to have known they were there.

_Why had he let them go?_


	2. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Thanks so much to everyone for their interest in this project! I'm going to try and stay within the confines of what was given in the film when it comes to the Leia scenes; however, I will cheat a little. I hope you enjoy this new installment~ o/
> 
> Btw, if you wanna see exactly how we were cheated out of the original ending for TROS, check out these twitter threads: [here](https://twitter.com/MarienneMaid/status/1208793417972498432), [here](https://twitter.com/BenSoloLover/status/1209053982339063808), [here](https://twitter.com/reylo_bab/status/1210314847545507840) and [here](https://twitter.com/reylo_bab/status/1210315202022916096). A bunch of amazing fans gathering all the evidence in interviews, reshoots, hair lengths, bad lightsaber editing, Lando on the Falcon with Rey on Tatooine Funkopop commercial, etc.

* * *

* * *

Kylo sits aboard the Upsilon, his reforged mask thankfully concealing the unsettled corners of his mouth, the hard shine of his eyes. What he had seen could have been a trick of the mind, a mere ethereal flash of memory. It must have been. _He_ couldn't possibly have seen his uncle. The murder of Han Solo had bloodied his hands beyond atonement, let alone the reach of the Light.

Yet there the man was, a single blink of sardonic wisdom glaring down upon him with a knowing smirk; then _gone_. He presented a different appearance to the one on Crait, scragglier, deeper lines—likely from his time on Ahch-To—but it had made Kylo's chest tremble nonetheless. And he had fled like a coward, though not out of fear for his uncle. Such childish notions had long since perished on the white salt of that miserable planet. _No._ This was deeper. 

The life signatures of the traitor and the other Resistance fighter had meant little to him in that moment of naked panic. His only thought had been to get away, far away before the walls against the past split wide open. 

Burying his tempestuous emotions, he exits his ship to the greeting of General Pryde.

"Supreme leader, our forces apprehended the one who aided the Resistance scum. We are interrogating him now to find out what information he gave them."

"The more pressing matter is how this sympathizer came by such information," Kylo remarks curtly. 

"Is the Supreme Leader suggesting we have a spy in our midst?" Hux inquires, walking up beside Pryde as the three exit the hangar. 

Kylo stops and raises his hand.

Hux, despite his cool demeanor, flinches. 

Kylo then extends his index finger at his rival, daring the man to speak as he turns his mask to Pryde. "I expect this spy to be found."

"As you command, Supreme Leader."

He turns to leave when Hux's voice stops him. "The Jedi is still at large. Our allies have expressed concern over her continued elusion. What do you wish me to tell them, Leader Ren?"

He senses a hidden barb beneath the casual reverence in the general's tone. The reverence is a mockery, of course; the general hates him without comparison. This is precisely why General Pryde was assigned to the _Steadfast_, to watch Hux. But that hidden barb gives Kylo Ren pause. His awareness expands, drawing on the living Force around him. He sees General Pryde. His thoughts are simple, aligned with the First Order and its current Supreme Leader. Hux's appear to be as well, yet...

There is a challenge nestled safely in his words. 

So, Kylo turns the question onto him. "You're asking me what you should tell our allies, General Hux? A man of your station should know even the most general practicalities of diplomacy. Perhaps, I was wrong to keep you at your rank."

Hux's face remains unaffected, but Kylo knows better.

Since Snoke's death, the two have played this furtive if mind-numbingly slow game of cat-and-mouse. Sooner or later, it will come to an end and one will have to make the ultimate move. He also realizes the extensive progress Hux has made to barter leverage over the procurers of children for the Stormtrooper program this past year, growing his influence extensively. Five-hundred-thousand new recruits of fighting age from the Core worlds alone and each of them trained to serve _him_. It ensures the general's place amongst the upper echelon and close to Kylo.

Though the blood of Vader soaks his veins, Kylo inherently loathes the politics of leadership. It requires a certain finesse; _finesse_ being the ability to lie through one's teeth. He has never been comfortable with such tricks, which, unfortunately, puts him at a strategic disadvantage. Leia Organa had always said it was because of his heart.

_His father's heart. _

"My apologies, Supreme Leader. I will placate our allies over these matters at once." Hux bows lowly and walks away.

A space of silence draws between Kylo and the remaining general before he speaks again. "Report," his voice modulator purrs.

Pryde's expressionless mask falters and Kylo catches a hint of frustration. "The search continues. Our current source suggests the target's last known location lies within the Expansion Region," he replies. 

Kylo's hand curls tightly, but he keeps his shoulders steady. "That does little to narrow our search, general."

"We will find him, Supreme Leader."

"See that you do. And make sure you bring him to me _alive_."

"Yes sir."

Kylo turns abruptly on his heel, leaving the general to follow after his other colleague without a departing glance. Kylo listens to the man's fading gait, knowing there will be no trace of emotion in his eyes as he snaps his arms behind his back and folds them carefully to his spine. 

A troublesome thought suddenly worms its way into Kylo's mind. General Pryde's loyalty to him rests solely on a name built upon a legacy from a charred and broken mask. He has spent a year attempting to outgrow it. He has instilled fear in many systems, shown his First Order constituents even less leniency, and yet, he wears his own mask. Because the truth... leaves him far too vulnerable.

.

\- o -

.

Across the galaxy on the fertile planet of Ajan Kloss, Rose Tico catches an excited Rey in her arms, dirt and sweat smeared across the other woman's brow. Finn waits his turn, seeing as Rose took it upon herself to steal Rey first. Poe moves past them to the camp's main square with R2 at his side, all business. The past year has not been kind to the Resistance, its members scrounging for scraps to rebuild the faction into a semblance of its former self and keeping under the radar of the First Order has left little room for much else.

Rey pulls back from Rose and the second her eyes drift to Finn a frown mars her face. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"It's nothing. We had a brush with First Order troops."

"I could try to help it," Rey suggests.

He takes a hesitant step back. "No, no. I'm fine. Rose took care of it."

Rey's expression sours. "You think I can't?"

"That's not what I was thinking." Finn shoots back, despite—_well_... He averts his eyes. Of course, she knows. 

Several months prior, Poe, Chewie and Rey had gone on a mission in the outer rim territories to meet with allies when members of the Kanjiklub syndicate spotted the Falcon and attacked them. The group hadn't let go of their grudge against Han Solo regardless of his death, apparently. Poe was injured during the onslaught and Rey had attempted to heal him. She failed and the mission had failed along with her. 

Finn knows she has never truly forgiven herself. 

Neither has Poe, much to Finn's annoyance.

"Rey," Rose says gently. "We don't think you can't, but these things take time. You don't exactly have a teacher showing you how to become a Jedi, you know."

Rey bites at her lip. "I'm fine. My training is doing _fine_." When she fixes her gaze on the two of them it is hardened steel. 

Finn considers asking Maz how the training is actually going. Or General Organa. Something tells him Rey has been struggling.

Rey hastily switches the subject. "I found something in the old texts. Luke left notes referencing—"

"Finn! Rose! Poe wants you for a briefing!" Kaydel Ko Connix pants as she runs up to them. "You too, Rey."

The three share a glance and follow after her at once. 

Inside the massive cavern of the communications center, Kaydel leads them through a maze of machines before reaching a small alcove near the rear of the cave where a tightly huddled group of Resistance members wait. Poe stands in the middle of the throng, nodding to Finn as he and the girls file in beside everyone. 

"We've received bad news. General Hux has moved to eliminate any remaining allies of the Resistance concealed within the Pantora System. We've also lost contact with our allies of the Mengal and Silenia systems. This is a heavy blow. Our list of allies was hard-earned over the past year, but we can't let these losses stop us." 

"Boolio." Rose whispers sadly.

Finn grabs her hand and squeezes it. She returns the action with earnest, her lips pressed tightly together. As he looks away, Finn catches Rey pass a furtive glance over to Leia who stands amongst a group of senior officers. The elder woman looks haunted in this low light. It shakes Finn to the core. How can he not have noticed until now? The crescent bruises under her dark eyes grow more brutal as she averts her face from Rey into the harsh glow of yellow light, focusing on Poe once more. 

"We need to bolster our efforts, send advocates to every planet or system that has ever shown support for the Republic." Poe continues. "We haven't clawed our way back from the defeat on Crait just to be snuffed out now. We _will not_ fail." His eyes flit to Rey and Finn notes the scowl that mars her features.

Poe has spared no one his impatience and frustration after the events of Crait (he doesn't have the luxury once he took most of Leia's responsibilities onto his shoulders), but Rey has received the brunt of his judgment compared to others among the Resistance. Finn understands the pressure, yet he finds himself wanting to snap at Poe. Not that this will help anyone. The tensions are so high the war would likely turn inward, which is the last thing this outfit needs.

Rey is, in Poe's words, their secret weapon, their icon of hope needed to rally the troops. After the news of her killing Snoke spilled out into the galaxy, her fame had grown exponentially, likewise to her infamy. Rey keeps much of her own thoughts to herself, but one thing Finn knows for certain is that she loathes the attention.

"Alright, all of you get out there. Let's go to work." Poe says, then turns to them. "You three stay."

The clears swiftly, leaving behind an awkward stillness. 

"What was the message?" Finn asks.

Poe settles himself against a neighboring stack of crates. "The First Order is looking for someone who fought with the Rebel Alliance. Lando Calrissian."

Rose's eyes go wide. "The appointed general during the Battle of Endor." 

Poe nods. "Apparently, he has information on an object Supreme Leader Ren seeks."

"The spy didn't tell us what that something happened to be, did they?" Finn remarks; less a question and more of a sarcastic quip.

"No. But the message explicitly states that Calrissian be brought directly to the Supreme Leader."

"For interrogation." Rey murmurs. 

Finn shifts uncomfortably at the thought of being interrogated by Kylo Ren. During his time as a stormtrooper, he had heard the stories and he had witnessed a taste of Ren's power when rescuing Poe. That taste alone had terrified him. 

"The last thing we need is Ren getting his hands on him," Poe says.

Rose bites her lip, throwing an unsure glance to each of them. "Can we trust this source?" 

Poe opens his mouth to reply, but Rey surprises them all with her interruption. "Yes, actually. I found something in the old texts—one of Luke's written scribbles. Just some notes, really." She pauses, curling a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I'd found it a few nights ago. It mentioned Lando as someone who had traveled with him. They were looking for the 'Vergence Scatter.' Luke listed a planet of interest: Pasaana."

"What does that mean?"

Rey offers Rose a shrug. "I'm not entirely sure."

Some of Poe's rigidness softens. "It's a start," he declares.

Finn nods the affirmative. "That's good enough for me."

"Chewie is already loading supplies aboard the Falcon and we're on a truncated timetable." Poe clasps Rey on the shoulder while nodding at the others. "We cannot afford to fail this mission."

.

\- o -

.

His knights surround him as he gazes down at the hunched body in front of him, the glint of silver on his visor catching in the severe light. So far, the search for Lando Calrissian has spanned solar systems, planets, hidden niches of the more sordid criminal syndicates and gauche individuals only to turn up with nothing... until now. 

It's been over a decade since Kylo had laid eyes upon this stranger's face, in a different life, a different time. He had been a padawan in that life, confused though hopeful, struggling with nighttime voices in his dreams. He still struggles with those voices. _Some things never change. _

"Speak."

The shoulders tremble, though not out of fear. The man seems to ignore Kylo at first, the air growing hollower with the silence. Then, "Your uncle was as much a victim as you. You'll realize that soon enough."

Kylo's eye ticks; his gloved fingers squeeze. "Do not test my patience. Tell me where Calrissian is."

"Will you strike me down as you did Lor San Tekka?" the man asks, looking up at him. His aged face is smeared with blood, though his eyes remain clear, sharp. "Not even Luke Skywalker knew what was coming. Thinking back on it, I can't ignore the irony."

Kylo ignites his lightsaber, its blade crackling.

"You think destroying ancient Jedi relics and forgotten temples will erase what was? What is it you're after? Power? You and I both know that path is a lie."

"I'll only ask you one more time, Addar."

The man smiles. It's a mangled tugging of the lips that leaves a cold emptiness in Kylo's stomach. He looks sad, resigned in a way that feels like empathy. "Pasaana." the man murmurs, closing his eyes.

A breath of hesitation passes as the tension of unsaid words fills the room and Kylo turns away, realigning his focus to the matter at hand. Pasaana. It is a planet within the Middian system. They will need to move quickly to—

"Finish it."

His spine going rigid. Addar surveys him intently with the look of a man who has seen this final moment all his life. Kylo swallows, thankful his helmet shields him. "Finish what?"

"What he started."

An ice bucket of water drenches his shoulders and it takes everything in Kylo's reserve not to shrink back in horror. He pulls air swiftly into his lungs, concentrating on maintaining control. How does he know? His head is spinning, the words from a year ago beating in his skull like a heartbeat. _'Show me grandfather and I will finish what you started.'_

He cannot allow his knights to see him lose control. He cannot afford such an error. 

"Make it painless."

The whisper cuts from his voice modulator in a hiss and he exits the room with haste, his cape flowing out behind him. 

It's only after he reaches the corridor that he realizes his lightsaber is still ignited. He extinguishes it. 

Approaching footsteps startle him from his daze and he about-faces. Lieutenant Mitaka comes to a halt, bowing his head. "Supreme Leader. General Pryde wishes to speak with you."

Kylo sweeps past him without so much as a nod, thankful to be called away from this side of the ship. His boots clack echoingly on the durasteel floor as his head swims with memory. A duo of stormtroopers intent to ride the elevator see him coming and quickly step out of his way. The doors shut in front of him with a _'shnk' _and he attempts to recollect the maelstrom in his head.

The doors open to the bridge and he steps out, forcing an air of confidence in his stride. 

General Pryde meets him at once, speaking in hushed tones. "We have gleaned information from the Resistance sympathizer. Our enemy knows of your efforts to locate Lando Calrissian. What are your orders, Supreme Leader?"

Kylo glances around them, any ear that could pick up their conversation too far away. "Prepare a squadron of stormtroopers. They will leave with my knights at once."

He nods, not so much as asking where the unit will be headed. 

That's when it happens, a small tug; then the familiar sound, like being caught in a vacuum of space. But space is empty. This is not. His heart leaps through his ribs as a voice calls to him. No, not him—_Rey_.

"Rey." Leia Organa whispers.

Kylo finds himself not only connected to Rey, but, like the dream, seeing her world through her eyes. She stands on a lush green planet surface, her robes pristine and white as she gazes down at her smudged hands. The image is so familiar to him that he barely registers it. Rey of Jakku, a fiery reckoning of a woman who cares little for dirt. Yet here she stands, her clothes impossibly clean. 

"I know," she replies. "I just — I... I don't know where to go from here. What to do. It's been a year and I feel like I'm no closer to whatever it is I'm looking for."

Has she not felt him inside her head yet, Kylo wonders.

Somewhere in the distance, he hears a gurgling howl, one he recognizes at once and he tries to keep his awareness from leaping out on instinct. The innate urge to take control and survey her environment is so powerful he nearly loses himself, though he curbs it; instead, allowing the scene to unfold before him. Their bond is stronger, _much_ stronger. He can almost feel the beat of her heart behind his own ribs, faster than his heart at this very moment. 

Then, she turns and Kylo's world stops. He is a child, careless, hungry for adventure and desperate for his mother's attention. She stands before Rey — before _him_ — her once full cheeks hollowed, eyes like his own, but ravaged by time, and her once proud shoulders folding inward. Weary. Old. 

His eyes sting. 

"When Han," Rey starts only to stop herself, curling her arms tightly around her waist. Kylo senses her fingertips graze the hilt of her saberstaff clipped to her belt (her anchor, her accomplishment along this journey). "I've never belonged anywhere, been a part of anything, but you have given me so much. I don't want to fail you."

Leia reaches forward, taking Rey into her arms.

Kylo's breath stutters as he feels it through the Force and the bond flares blindingly within the confines of his mask. Rey's side of the bond stirs with realization and she gasps in Leia's hold, but Ben thrusts his awareness completely into their connection, willing her arms to remain tethered to his mother. Leia's back stiffens. Then, her breath blossoms warmly against Rey's hair — _his hair_ — and she melts into the embrace murmuring so softly he can only register it through the Force alone...

_"Ben." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm gonna keep reminding everyone that I suck at canon SW lore and feedback will definitely keep this story going. I'm so bitter about how all the characters were treated in TROS, not just the Skywalkers or Rey. Even Palpatine was diminished. So, if you like my messy-ass attempt at a fix-it-fic, please do me a solid and let me know in the comments below!**


	3. Bitterness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** I love all of you. Just saying. ;D Btw, I decided I'm going to go off the rails a bit with this plot (still keeping Leia's scenes mostly there and as accurate to the movie as I can). You'll see what I mean. I'm changing something major for Reylo, but bear with me. I promise it's for a good reason. Thqh, every time I think about TROS and the mess it is I get so disheartened. Writing this will continue to be a struggle for me and I apologize for the delays. Enjoy~ o/
> 
> **KEY CHANGE:** I gave Rey a yellow saberstaff instead of the yellow lightsaber we see at the end of TROS because I wanted to. :P That and WinterofherDiscontent's gorgeous piece [here](https://society6.com/product/under-the-light-from-distant-worlds_stretched-canvas?sku=s6-8524591p16a6v28).
> 
> **I'm currently using a dictation program to write the rest of this project and some words, spellings or punctuation may be incorrectly translated. Feel free to point them out if you so desire.**

* * *

* * *

Rey stares in a haze out the viewport of the Falcon's cockpit as it jumps to lightspeed, her mind lingering behind her on Ajan Kloss with Leia. And _Ben_.

His presence had flared through her bones like starlight and even Leia's signature in the Force had trembled. 

For now, at least, his side of the bond is quiet. A heavy sigh leaves her as she glances up at Han's dice hanging above Chewie's head and her hands fall from the control panel. They wring together in her lap painfully when the dice twinkle back at her.

He had cried. She felt it, the tear escaping down her cheek acting as the single droplet of rain to a flower starved in the desert.

_ Ben Solo had wept._

Rey surveys her hands; she has absently smeared dirt on her leggings. It refuses to go away no matter how hard she scratches at it. A frown twists her lips when her right bicep begins to tingle and she stands from her seat. She needs to be doing something. Anything, at the moment. Chewie offers her a questioning glance, but she dismisses him with a meager smile and a half-hearted wave before heading back to the communal space.

Finn and Rose sit at the booth chatting intently about the year-long predicament that has plagued the Resistance. With Leia Organa's call for aid going unheeded that fateful day on Crait, what can anyone possibly hope for now? Fear holds the galaxy hostage and it is only growing. They are on their own... as much as they have ever been. 

Finn looks up at Rey, likely to volunteer his seat at the booth, but she walks past them entirely and heads on to the galley._ It_ is stored there. Beneath the spacious cot in a compartment where she had originally kept the Jedi texts her eyes land on a folded swath of rough fabric. The shadows of the cubbyhole give the vermillion material an almost macabre air and she pulls the top layer aside. Nestled within lay the severed pieces of the legacy lightsaber. She has not looked at it in over six months, not since contacting a known ally of Luke Skywalker to assist her in constructing her own saberstaff. 

Addar had been a difficult man to track, but he helped her nonetheless. He also had spoken briefly of a fellow priest from Jakku upon learning Rey's origin planet. And when she asked how to repair the legacy saber, he never gave her an answer.

She lets out a frustrated sigh. The old coot could have at least pointed her in the right direction. Her hand reaches out tentatively, fingertips grazing one of the pieces. Cool. Frayed. The broken crystal looks so dull in this low light. If nothing else, Addar could have explained his past with Skywalker. The man's lack of openness for sharing information had reminded her so much of Luke that she'd nearly throttled him. Probing his mind would have been unjust, but that didn't mean it never crossed hers.

The ancient texts of the Jedi have left her with more questions than answers and something tells her she is running out of time.

Images from her nightmares suddenly flash through her mind's eye and she recoils, falling back onto her bum. The wide expanse of darkness reaches for her, humming softly up the bridge of her spine and settling at the base of her skull. It resonates outward, enveloping her like a cloak and a new image materializes. The yawning gloom of the vast stone floor and _there_, jutting up from stone like the hateful petals of a lotus flower, is a black throne. But it is not the throne that grabs her attention. It is the body crumpled at the foot of it.

A mess of raven hair hides the face, but Rey knows—_she knows!_

"No!" she hisses aloud.

_"Rey." _A voice whispers. _"You can change it. I can help."_

It crawls over her nerve-endings like liquid and she shivers. Nothing distinguishes it save for its bizarre sense of omnipresence and it fills her mind, misting over her thoughts.

_"You cannot stop it alone. Let me help..."_

"Rey?"

She jerks around, blinking dazedly to find Finn standing in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" he asks, concerned.

She hastily gets to her feet, dusting off her backside and shaking the tremor out of her hands. "I'm fine. Just tired."

Finn eyes her closely, his tongue rolling over his teeth behind his lips. Though before he can press her further, Rose calls from the galley. "Chewie wants to play a game of Dejarik, Finn! Both of you get in here! We've only a few hours of downtime before the mission!" 

Rey lets out a breath she doesn't realize she was holding and drops her eyes as she squeezes past him. His gaze never leaves her, even as he situates himself beside Rose opposite Chewie at the Dejarik table and loses two games. All the while the image of that mangled body burns itself deeper into Rey's consciousness. 

.

\- o -

.

"I do say, _General_ Poe Dameron sounds quite fitting," C-3PO announces.

R2 beeps emphatically. 

Poe hates being idle. He would rather be out in the field with the mess and blood splatter. Not here giving orders. Still, he watches the Resistance ships blast off into hyperspace with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl pinching his features. The First Order might have suffered a defeat on Crait a year ago, but their critical blow during the Hosnian Cataclysm can still be felt with the New Republic's glaring absence. So many among the Core Worlds and even those extending to the Outer Rim planets have capitulated to First Order rule. 

They were lucky enough to find Boolio. Poe glares down at his boots. _Not anymore._

Leia won't say it. She can't. To do so would be to reveal the ugly truth everyone at this base is trying to avoid. 

They're running on a single, thin string of hope. Nothing more. 

Poe often finds himself mystified by the elder general's ability to retain such notions at the bleakest of hours. If only his own heart showcased such resilience. He clings primarily to reckless aggression, a trait that has cost more lives than necessary. But the Battle over D'Qar had sobered him. Is that not why she promoted him to general?

"Why don't you go make yourself busy with finishing the translations of those Jedi texts for Rey." Poe gripes at the droids and steps inside the cavern. Kaydel Co Konnix stands at the head comm station and she glances up at him as he approaches. "Any news from Finn yet?"

She shakes her head. "They should be arriving soon, though. We can reestablish a link, but the distance will be a problem."

"Don't use the standard channel. This mission needs to remain off the main waves." 

"Excuse me, General Dameron," C-3PO says, coming up behind him.

"What?" he groans.

“I have recently completed the necessary translations for Mistress Rey and I believe there is some information that might be of value to you." 

Poe turns to the droid, eyebrows raised. "What are you talking about?"

“What little we’ve gathered in spy reports suggest that Supreme Leader Ren seeks places with concentrated Force energies. Until this morning I was not clear why, but I think I may have found the answer.”

“Well you better get to it because you’re testing my patience,” Poe says tempestuously.

The droid looks thoroughly affronted despite his lack of expression. “If I say sir, your promotion has certainly not improved your mood.”

“Thanks for noticing.”

“General,” Kaydel sighs.

“Alright, alright,” Poe mutters waving his hand expectantly for the droid to continue.

C-3 PO glances between them unsurely before starting again. “It would not be unreasonable to consider the possibility that the Supreme Leader is looking for a focal point of power in the Force.”

Poe’s unease grows. “Why?” He asks.

“Master Luke was looking for similar places before his self-imposed isolation on Ahch-To. His notes suggest he was looking for an answer to the Force itself. He was surprised by the possibility that the island of Ahch-To could be one of these focal points, as well.”

_Well, that’s just great._ Poe massages the back of his neck irritably. He doesn’t want it to make sense, but it does. Supreme leader Ren’s knights are like ghosts with the Resistance rarely able to track them. However, a few standard months ago a Resistance supply freighter had spotted the Oubliette-Class Prison Transport ship in the Lothal sector. At the time, Leia hadn’t bothered to question it and neither had he. _What the hell is Kylo Ren doing?_

Poe turns to Kaydel. “Keep an eye on that radio.” He orders and leaves to find general Organa.

.

\- o -

.

Rose's bum has gone to sleep again, all down the left cheek. She hates sitting still about as much as anyone else among the Resistance. Finn shoots her a knowing smirk and she bats his shoulder as Chewie heads back with Rey to the cockpit. They make planetfall moments later, cutting through the sweltering atmosphere and landing behind an unmarked mountain cropping. They exit down the ramp moments later, Rose shielding her eyes from the excruciating sunlight.

"I saw a village due south. It's about six kilometers from here. We can start there." Rey announces. 

"Chewie you stay and guard the ship until we get back." Finn orders.

The wookie looks ready to argue when Rey squeezes his arm reassuringly. "We'll be fine." 

He gives a pitiful whine and she flashes him an open-mouthed smile. 

The three start out over the burning desert sand. Rose's blouse clings to her back within minutes, her skin soaked with sweat. She glances over her shoulder to the shrinking Falcon and sighs. If only they had a light breeze to help disperse the heat. Her trousers chafe against her legs and she reminisces about the cold weather of her home planet.

Rey had told her once that she came from a desert planet. Rose isn’t sure whether she’s jealous or sympathetic towards the fact that Rey moves with ease over the shifting sands. She cannot imagine what growing up in such a desolate place must have been like. Speaking of Rey, her silence is heavier than usual. Rose has known the young woman to smile often in Finn’s presence, yet she seems so much more preoccupied as of late.

The single sun of Pasaana dips to the horizon by the time they reach the village. Fires flicker and dance as the local inhabitants, draped in rich visceral color, dance along with them. Music plays and children’s laughter fill the air. Rose grins at the beauty of the celebration.

“I didn’t expect this.” Finn says. “What do you suppose they’re celebrating?”

Rose shakes her head. “I’m not sure but it’s wonderful.”

In front of them Rey veers off, heading toward the center part of the celebration. Finn takes Rose’s hand and they hurry to keep up. She pauses at the main way of traffic, her head swiveling in all directions.

“What is it?” Finn asks as they come up beside her.

Rey bites at her lip. “We might need to split up.”

“We’ll meet back here after we find him?” Rose nods.

Rey mirrors her. Then, without another word she melts into the crowd. Rose looks after her friend with a furrowed brow. The mission alone is convoluted enough and who’s to say if they will even find Lando Calrissian. Who’s to say he will _want_ them to find him… But Rey’s continued dissonance is the more perplexing of the facets surrounding this mission. It eats away at Rose’s unease and she glances at Finn. He purses his lips but offers nothing more and the two begin their search in the opposite direction.

They explore the festival for the better part of an hour and all they come up with are a few confused conversations that lead nowhere due to a language barrier. Rose emits a frustrated sigh as Finn pauses near a barrel full of water and wets his face. The sight makes Rose crave a fresher desperately. She is sure her garments reek of sweat.

“Maybe Rey’s had better luck.” She opines as Finn walks back to her. “How are we supposed to find someone when we don’t know for sure who we’re even looking for?” Thinking about it now, the whole mission is based on such a flimsy prospect. But what does the Resistance have if not flimsy prospects?

Finn shrugs. “I suppose the Force will point us in the right direction.”

“I might not know anything about the Force, but I doubt that’s how it works.” Rose says dubiously.

“It’s always helped Rey.” The phrase is meant to counter hers, though it barely comes out as a whisper.

Rose looks out over the crowd for the subject of their discussion and her glaring white attire. In the sea of rusty reds and lush oranges she would be spotted at once; she isn’t of course. Rose crosses her arms, unafraid to broach the obvious. “What’s going on with her lately?”

Finn finds an interesting smudge on his boot. “I don’t know, but she’s hiding something.”

“What you mean?”

He scoffs. “I don’t know. I don’t know about anything anymore.”

The frown on Finn’s face only adds to Rose’s tangled nerves and she finds herself slipping back into a place she had hoped was behind her. Paige’s death was the most difficult obstacle to ever overcome in her life. The confusion she had felt left her spinning in infinite self-doubt. It was only after Canto Bight and Finn’s attempted self-sacrifice on Crait when her compass had found its north. She was no longer the little sister who had fled her homeworld, but part of a bigger family.

Rose freezes as the cold solid feel of a blaster presses against the back of her head. “Outlanders are a rare occurrence here.”

Finn whirls around, his hand going for the weapon at his hip.

“I wouldn’t,” the stranger warns. “Old doesn’t mean slow.”

“We’re only looking for someone.” Rose says carefully. “He’s being hunted by the First Order. His name is Lando Calrissian.”

Finn makes a face at her frankness and she scowls back. Sometimes the truth is the fastest path to the necessary destination and they don’t have time to waste.

“And am I supposed to believe that you would be protecting this Lando Calrissian from the First Order?” The man questions sardonically.

“Why don’t you take us to him and we can find that out for ourselves?” Rose snaps.

“You got a lot of gall for someone at the opposite end of a blaster.”

The barbed reply nearly shoots through her teeth when, all at once, the crowd scrambles and parts to reveal none other than Rey hurtling straight for them. Her eyes are wild and her lips peeled back. Rose knows before the words even leave her mouth like short punctuated stabs in the air. “_He’s_ here! We have to go now!”

Rose dares a glance behind her to the man with the blaster. His weathered face seems at war with itself, dark features drawn into an expression of both skepticism and desperation; then, it dawns upon her…

“Lando Calrissian,” Finn hisses in shock, voicing her suspicions.

He has the decency to look mildly embarrassed by his actions and he holsters his blaster, muttering, “It was only a matter of time, anyway.”

Rey approaches him purposefully. “You need to come with us.”

“I doubt I have any other options.” He cocks an eyebrow.

“If you don’t want to be captured by the Supreme Leader of the First Order, then yeah.” Finn bites impatiently.

Without another word, the four of them take off into the darkness.

.

\- o -

.

He senses her before he ever makes planetfall, her Force signature burgeoning like a nascent star. Anticipation sings along his nerve endings as he directs his Upsilon down near a moderately sized settlement and descends onto the night dunes. The planet’s inhabitants shy away into their dwellings with haste, their fires casting long shadows across the sand. Stormtroopers exit their transport ship and begin combing every inch of the village. The planet appears devoid of any high space traffic and its residents seem caught in an outdated time.

Kylo extends his awareness, searching every hut, every alleyway, but the darkness bequeaths nothing. He can feel the traces of Rey walking around the village seeking the same target he is. Shouts and cries from the inhabitants reverberate with the dance of the flames; however, his quarry remains elusive. _Not surprising._ She and her cohorts have become quite skilled at hiding. 

Then, he feels it. The distant but definite beat of a life signature beyond the village, heading for the jagged escarpment due North. They are on foot. The bond shivers like silver bands of moonlight on a watery surface and he hears her, distant, a whisper.

She knows he’s listening.

The sensation causes him to waver on his feet. A year without her physical presence so near to him and now, only miles away, he is discombobulated. He wonders at it, enthralled by its power. _A Dyad_. Two that are one. Snoke had never forged their bond. Kylo should’ve seen through that lie the very day he killed his master. And there was the experience with General Organa only hours ago. His eyes sting and he quickly blinks it away.

It is unheard of, such an intimate connection between Force users. His time under Snoke’s tutelage had furthered his knowledge of the hidden aspects of the Cosmic Force, as well as the _convergence of opposites_. What his master had not anticipated was that, with the darkness rising, the light had not only come to meet it, but to _join_ it.

He recalls his conversation with Rey and the bewilderment he had felt at the intimacy of their connection. Then, the legacy saber splitting apart in Snoke’s throne room aboard the Supremacy… How wave after wave of raw energy had pulsed between them. How the saber’s metal skin had trembled and the kyber crystal inside groaned against their violent tug-of-war. When the weapon snapped, Kylo had felt it in his bones.

It was unlike any pain he had ever experienced before. His chest aches at the memory and he walks out beyond the village, heading for the escarpment alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Holy shit. Trying to come up with logical connections to the plot and figuring out this monster is a mess but I'm proud of this chapter. Let me know what you think!!!**


	4. Capture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** I apologize for this chapter's tardiness! I spent a weekend with some friends, but I'm back now~ The response to this project keeps me going and I am so amazed by all the love I've received thus far! The recent news about the TROS Visual Dictionary recall, the admission of AD having to record lines for masked Kylo Ren scenes in his own closet, audiobooks being recalled indefinitely... It all boils my blood. At this point, I'm over whatever bullshit D/LF is peddling. Enjoy~ o/

* * *

* * *

“We’re almost there!” Rose huffs.

Rey skitters down the side of a dune with ease as the others tumble along behind her, Lando almost falling to his knees if not for Finn catching him. She finds a strange sense of familiarity with the grace of her actions, though a strong aftertaste of bitterness lingers. Desolate wastelands like this one have been her childhood, skeletons of Imperial ships jutting out of the golden sand like great broken monoliths and waterless horizons for as far as the eye can see. Rey learned how to survive on dead worlds.

They had shaped her consciousness, her instincts. Even after a year of being free from Jakku, she still rations her water. Finn never speaks on it, but his eyes say enough. He pities her... and a part of her hates him for it. 

“Chewie do you read?!” the subject of her thoughts shouts into his comlink. “Start her up! We’ve found Calrissian but we’ve got company!”

An emphatic howl responds seconds later and Rey catches the light of the Falcon’s sublight drive exhaust pierce through the darkness ahead.

“How far do you think they are behind us?” Rose asks as they finally slow their pace to take a breath.

"I doubt they've caught on yet!" Finn answers back.

"What about Kylo Ren?"

Rose's subsequent question is meant for Rey. She bites her lip and slows to a halt, the others following suit. Extending her awareness, she finds small but strong pulses of life hidden in the nooks and crags of the rocky hills. She pushes harder, expanding her mind's fingers like a splayed hand across the sands. The village is still drowning in chaotic flashes of fear and anger, but beyond that... Nothing. _Not even Kylo._

Something at the back of her mind twists uncomfortably and she wonders at the blank space where he should be.

"Well?" Rose presses.

"I think we'd better hurry," she whispers.

The group share a worried glance and take off towards the Falcon's light. They hurry through a cleft eroded into the standing boulders, zigzagging across the ravine and Rey lets out a breath of relief as the echo of ship's engines reach her ears. That relief is short-lived, however, when a shadow moves out from the darkness and steps in front of the Falcon's ramp. She freezes at once, spine going ramrod straight and heart flying into her throat. The others stutter to a stop behind her.

He stands tall and harsh in the drive exhaust light, a ghoul from a nightmare. The red cracks of his mask only heighten to the illusion. He approaches her thoughtfully, cape billowing against his legs and head tilting to the side.

From behind her Finn shifts, drawing his blaster quicker than Rey can stop him and Kylo's arm shoots forward. Finn's weapon skitters away from his across the sand. 

The Falcon's engines grow louder as Kylo draws closer. He stops a mere five paces from her as if daring her to attack. Unfortunately, the mere sight of him with his mask again is jarring. It does strange things to her emotions, tangling them so tightly in her throat that she can hardly swallow. The ugly cracks spidering across the sheen of black look like open wounds.

Rose makes an attempt to move and Rey waves her hand, signaling her to remain still. "Where is your entourage, _Supreme Leader_?" she asks, turning back to Kylo.

The Resistance rarely ever reported Kylo Ren without his Knights of Ren until the last few months. And if the tumultuous emotions she'd felt during the moment with Leia had been any indication of his motives now...

A part of her wants to press into his defenses, to breach the wall they have built between one another and see the man beyond it. Not even the mask can hide the face she knows lies underneath. 

Kylo elects not to answer her; instead, he deflects. "You've designed your own saberstaff. I'm impressed."

She unclips it from her utility belt and takes on a defensive stance, though she does not activate it. His statement is meant to jar her, to remind her that he has seen her dream through the bond and with it, her fear. The words come out low and clipped. "You will _not_ take him."

_Straight to the point._ Rey can almost see the ghost of a smirk twitch at the corner of Kylo's mouth even through the mask. The bond stirs, but she shoves it away. 

"You're in no position to dictate such terms," he replies.

"You're outnumbered," she argues. 

A silhouette edges down the ramp of the Falcon from the corner of Rey's eye and she feels Rose's anticipation spike. Chewie lifts his bowcaster —

— and Kylo throws his arm back, fingers splayed into claws as he uses the Force to hurl Chewie's body through the air. The Wookie lands unceremoniously at Lando's feet with a pained grunt and the group rushes to help him up.

Rey glares daggers at Kylo, desiring to help her friend yet realizing she must not break attention away from her adversary. She steps closer, positioning herself between him and his intended target. Lando Calrissian's eyes dart across the darkness, looking for an avenue of escape or stormtroopers. Not that it matters. The more time they waste, the closer to failure they come. And now Kylo Ren stands between them and their escape. 

"Hand him over to me."

Rey takes another threatening step forward and activates her saberstaff. Golden light illuminates the hard lines of his mask. "No," she bites out.

The hand at his side furls into a fist. "I am giving you an opportunity to walk away, to protect your friends."

Anger flares up in her at the mention of her friends. _That_ opportunity passed a year ago when he had decided to carry on where Snoke left off. Images of Leia cross her mind, too, expressions of exhaustion on the elderly general's face when she believed no one was looking... but Rey was. She had seen the sadness in the other woman's eyes as she waged a war against her _own son_.

The words escape her before she has a chance to stop them. "Your mother misses you."

His head jerks as if slapped and Rey senses the bond crackle dangerously. The wall barricaded between them slips for the breath of a second and she glimpses a raw open wound in his Force signature. _No... that _is_ his Force signature. _

"Still locked in the past," he accuses sharply.

Before she has the chance to reply, a First Order transport suddenly appears from around the hills and all hell breaks loose. Blaster fire lights up the night and Rey's group scatters for cover, leaving her exposed. She moves at once, plunging headlong into the fray as Kylo's sharp bark echoes behind her. What he says is lost in the chaos, though by his tones, it's safe to assume he is _not_ happy. 

Finn and Rose attempt to rush Calrissian aboard the Falcon, Chewie hot on their heels, but with Kylo blocking their path they only succeed in cornering themselves behind a grouping of boulders yards from the ship. Sandwiched in and unable to lay down cover fire for Rey, they can only watch as she battles the onslaught of stormtroopers.

Five close in, blasting away even as she evades and deflects their assault with her saberstaff, red spitting off gold. Three more circle around behind her and she bares her teeth, using one hand to spin her weapon in a sweeping arc and the other to Force push a stormtrooper rushing at her left flank. More keep coming. A startled cry escapes her lips as a blaster bolt glances off her hip and she crouches low, but before she can retaliate, several of the troopers suddenly fly into the air.

Rey glances over her shoulder to find Kylo behind her, his clawed fingers trembling with rage. The stormtroopers in his grasp don't stand a chance. He slams them callously into the nearby rocks and jagged protrusions. Rey stomach turns at the ugly _crack!_ of their armor as it breaks. Her gaze drifts back to Kylo again and their bond pulses loudly in her ears... like a heartbeat.

"Rey! Look out!" Finn's strangled yell rips her out of her trance; however, too late. 

The grenade's blast sends her flying and for a moment the world seems limitless, weightless, then her shoulder connects with unforgiving rock and she relinquishes a painful cry. Static fills her skull as her bones vibrate with the impact and she attempts to get to her feet but her vision falters. A pair of arms suddenly loop around her waist and hoist her up and the familiar whiff of leather mixed with honeyblossom greets her nostrils. _Rose. _

"Get your bearings, Rey!" she orders.

Rey obeys, gripping at Rose's shoulder and planting one foot in front of the other with as much deliberation as she can manage. It takes a few seconds for the muddled haze of her skull to clear but, once it does, she reignites her saberstaff and finds the pathway to the Falcon clear. Kylo is nowhere in sight. 

Excitement blooms in her gut and she yells frantically, "Chewie! Finn! Get Calrissian on the Falcon _now_!"

.

\- o -

.

Rey's voice cuts through the noise and the throb of his head like a knife and Kylo's awareness centers on her at once. Her hair is skewed, the buns she's so fond of utterly ruined, and fresh blood gushes down her right temple. He swallows dryly. After the initial shock of the grenade, he had panicked. But she is alive.

_That's all that matters. _

Then, her words filter through his short-circuited brain and it kicks into overdrive. He cannot let them escape! General Pryde would pay for sending this second transport of stormtroopers after Kylo Ren had expressly forbidden it. They've created enough chaos already, nearly killing him in the process... unless _that _is their purpose. He'll deal with the potential revelation later. Right now, his vision narrows to a single line of focus and he heads straight for her.

Rey and her friend who came to her aid draw fire as the traitor attempts to clear a way to their ship for Calrissian and the Wookie. Logically, Kylo knows what sits at the top of his priority list, yet the fierce connection of the bond drums in his mind louder than the battle surrounding him. Unlike the throne room, however, it is a dissonant rhythm equivalent almost to physical pain.

_'Stop running, Rey.'_ he urges through the Force. _'You can't hide, not from me.'_

She falters, nearly earning another blaster bolt to the hip if not for Kylo's swift hand. With a casual flourish of his wrist the bolt and the trooper who dealt it go flying into the night.

Rey balks at his interference and her rage crackles through the bond. _'Stay out!'_ she snarls. 

_'Rey.'_

_'No!'_ She stresses the word with a Force push of her own, heaving a boulder half the size of the transport into the ship itself.

It explodes in a torrent of fire and durasteel shrapnel, raining down on them like deadly fireflies. A shocked scream punctures the static of the explosion and Kylo feels Rey's response before he ever sees it. Her partner falls to her knees as Rey's arms rush out to catch her and red stains the girl's abdomen. Shock and self-disgust bleed into the bond like a poison and Kylo experiences them full blast.

_The girl's name is Rose, Rose Tico... and she is strong, unyielding in her beliefs. And compassionate._

He shakes his head, cradling his mask temporarily as the feeling ebbs. He cannot allow her emotions to cloud his judgment. Not when he's so close!

The stormtroopers close in and Rey reacts hastily, angling her saberstaff against incoming fire at the Tico girl's flank. That's when Kylo hears the distant engines of the other transport from the village approaching. Rey senses it through their bond and spares a frightened glance behind her in his direction. _A mistake._ Four troopers capitalize on her momentary lapse and rush in. Kylo's feet move at the same moment the traitor throws himself between the women and their attackers. His confusion is overshadowed by wrathful understanding as the traitor deliberately swings a hair to the right, just missing him but also aligning the trooper's sights directly at him. And they do not appear at all dismayed about firing on their supreme leader. 

He has no choice but to divert his attention away from Rey and Calrissian and he pistons his arm out in front of him, splaying his fingers like claws and bringing the wall of blaster bolts to a standstill. The unit hesitates, their fear rippling through the Force like a nauseating wave and Kylo's rage would have ended them right there... if not for the sudden tingling at the back of his neck.

He whirls, spotting the traitor and using his saber to divert the lethal shot. It ricochets off a nearby rock and the two crash into one another like a crack of thunder. Kylo is startled by his opponent's ferocity as they go spilling unceremoniously across the dunes. His saber tumbles from his grasp and exstinguishes in the sand as the wind is knocked from his chest by a well-landed shot to the body. Kylo answers with a punch of his own through the Force which sends the traitor up over his heels and landing him flat on his face. Kylo's rage flares anew as he spots Rey already seated in the cockpit of the Corellian freighter, Calrissian at her side.

Bounding to his feet, he reaches out and latches onto the ship, the Force humming through him like licks of flame when—

A shot from a bowcaster grazes his shoulder and breaks his concentration.

Kylo's arm drops and he emits a grunt of pain as the stormtroopers who attacked him previously try again, though not before the unit from the village engages them. The Corellian Freighter rises high in the sky, it's blinding exhaust vents lighting up the night like a small star and Kylo watches insensed as they blast off into hyperspace. His eyes then fall to the Wookie standing across the battlefield staring at him, bowcaster in hand. Of course, he didn't escape with the others. 

_"Wookies are fiercely loyal, kid. You needn't worry about your old man flying off into space with Chewie around."_

Kylo gives his head a violent shake to clear the thought and glares over at the reason for the Wookie's decision to waste what is left of his life. The traitor groans dazedly and lifts his face out of the sand, grit covering his cheeks. An uneasy sensation of déjà vu suddenly coils in Kylo's gut and he is reminded of the fiery night on Jakku so long ago when a then stormtrooper had disobeyed a direct order. And he had done nothing.

The remaining stormtroopers circle around them, herding the Wookie in beside the traitor with callous indifference. Kylo watches numbly, his mind still spinning from the attempt on his life. Pryde would pay dearly for this betrayal. Though, regardless of this mission's disastrous outcome, Kylo has not left the battlefield empty-handed.

"What are your orders, supreme leader?" the captain asks.

He rolls his injured shoulder, feeding on the twinges of pain. "Put them on board." 

.

\- o -

.

It's interesting how an unexpected outcome can realign a man's thinking.

Hux presses the button again, watching the scene unfold before him in the cool blue light of the holoprojector. Months, for months he has sat on this security footage and not uttered a single word of it to a living soul. Keeping secrets has always come natural to him. _It is a valuable trait of a stone-cold survivor_, Phasma had once said. Too bad she won't be here to see his endgame. She would have loved to play, if only for the sheer sake of his plan's cruelty. 

They had played a game like this once before... on his father. But, as much as it pains Hux to admit it, his father was a far easier target and lacked the current supreme _bastard's_ innate Force abilities. Hux has been able to hide his true intentions so far, though now, critical moves must be made. He will need to remain in Kylo Ren's periphery, portraying the same bitter general intent on betraying him while secretly planting the seeds of the _real_ betrayal. 

The security footage ends just as General Pryde's voice echoes smoothly over the comlink. "You are needed in the main hangar. The supreme leader is returning promptly."

A slow grin spreads across Hux's face. "Of course general. Wouldn't want to keep our supreme leader waiting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I know this chapter is a little shorter than my average, but a lot happens and I figured all the action would get exhausting to read after a while. Expect big things next chapter!!! Also, feel free to call out any typos or weird word usage. I typed up most of this last night after a long day of grocery shopping.  
**
> 
> **PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE FEEDBACK! IT KEEPS THIS STORY GOING!!!!**


	5. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** This story is a balm that soothes my bitterness, especially after recent reveals for Ben's backstory. I can't believe how they have butchered the Skywalker family of characters (especially Leia). And, as a reaction, I think I'll include more than I'd anticipated for this project when it comes to Leia. Screw trying to stick as close to the movie as possible with the Leia scenes. Our princess deserves more. Also, if anyone is interested in reading up on mine and my co-author's original project, check out [this link](https://astridpierce.com/haunted-shadows/). It's a gothic mix of Victorian, Greek Mythology, Hades & Persophone, major Death vibes, Beauty and her BEAST, slow burn sarcasm and rivals to lovers. Enjoy~ o/

* * *

* * *

Rey's focus blurs as tears spill from her eyes, heart racing and hands trembling over Rose's abdomen. Calrissian walks up behind them, having left the Falcon speeding through warp space as fast as the warp drive can carry it. Rey does not bother with him as Rose groans in an effort to sit up.

“No, no! You lie still!” Rey reprimands shakily.

“I forgot to have the medical supplies restocked before we left.” She says dazedly. “We’ve all had so much on our minds. I was foolish.”

Rey eases her back down and glances behind at Calrissian helplessly. He looks to her, expression seeming to demand something. Then it clicks. Of course he expects her to save Rose. She’s the _Jedi_. The word tastes acrid in her mouth and she bites it, driving her teeth into her tongue. When she had failed to heal Poe on their previous mission, it had gutted her. She was supposed to embody a symbol of hope for the Resistance.

At least, that’s what everyone keeps telling her.

Rose's wound is deep but thankfully no shrapnel remains. It's a clean tear and her garments are ruined with her blood. Rey must work fast. But…? If she was unable to before, how can she do it now? The past year has driven her to the end of her patience, learning all of this on her own; it's impossible.

And what about Finn? What about Chewie? They can’t just leave them behind like this. But what other choice do they have? Rey’s eyes flit back to Calrissian. The Resistance _cannot_ suffer losing this man to Kylo Ren. Whatever information he knows is paramount to helping end this war.

Rose’s whisper suddenly yanks her from her thoughts. “It’s okay Rey.” 

“It’s not okay! This is all my fault! And now Finn and Chewie are suffering Force knows what at the hands of the First Order!”

Rose’s lips quiver, but she swallows back her fear and fixes Rey with a pointed stare. “It’s not your fault. And they knew the risks.”

“But Finn — ”

“Has survived this long.”

Rey finds herself rendered speechless at Rose’s words. How can she remain so calm in this moment? Mortally wounded with her significant other captured? Rey shakes her head. If Rose can do it, so can she and, right now, Rey's friend needs her. Dragging in a trembling breath, Rey scoots closer to Rose and places both of her palms gingerly over the wound. Rose offers a weak smile of reassurance, though it does little for Rey’s nerves. She closes her eyes and attempts to concentrate.

The art of Force healing is described in the Jedi texts as defiantly tricky at best and, at worst, impossible for even the most seasoned Jedi. Unfortunate for Rey then that none of the previous Masters of the order ever came around and afforded her free advice. Not even Luke Skywalker. Anger flares up in her like a match but she hastily snuffs it out. She cannot bear to waste time now.

_Concentrate Rey!_

Seconds tick by.

Yet nothing happens.

Rose moans in pain and Rey grits her teeth, pushing harder against the walls of her consciousness and stretching it as far as it will go. Pain blooms behind her eyes and heat builds in her palms, but she cannot seem to release it. It remains trapped inside. _Remember the lake by my castle if it helps_, Maz's voice echoes in her memory. She had given Rey the suggestion one late afternoon months ago on Kloss._ Think of the water, of its tranquility. _

Rey tries, but the ocean of her mind resists her, as turbulent and restless as ever. She wills herself to concentrate, lips peeling back over her teeth as she clamps her eyes shut.

Still nothing.

Rose's stomach muscles jerk beneath her hands and the tacky sensation of blood turns Rey's stomach. "Be with me, be with me. _Please_," she mutters aloud desperately. 

Then, all at once, the ocean of her goes silent. Rey waits, heart hammering against her ribs when —

_"Channel a single emotion. Be as the ocean of your mind."_

She gasps at the familiar voice. 

_"Stop denying your nature... if you want her to live."_

Rey's instinct is the disregard the stranger's words, but there is truth to them. Had Luke Skywalker's first lesson not been about the Force itself? Powerful light and powerful darkness? These certainties exist outside of any teaching system. They simply are, like warmth or cold. Life or death. And that raging ocean within her? The anger she so often feels? It's merely an emotion, a power inside her isn't it? Neither dark nor light. 

Instantly, something inside her shifts. Rey feels it like a wave rolling back out to sea and the heat in her hands begins to _vibrate_, pulsing like a heartbeat. Her eyes snap open at the sound of Rose's shocked intake of breath. Like melting honey, the healing energy seeps through Rey's fingertips and the cabin watches in awe as Rose's wound closes itself. 

"You did it." 

Rey blinks, momentarily dazed. Looking up, she finds Rose's eyes glittering. "I — ”

Her words are cut short by a crushing hug and she laughs unsteadily against Rose's shoulder.

"You did it!" she exclaims again.

Calrissian comes up beside them, his lined face unreadable. "Well done."

Rey's gaze turns to him as Rose pulls away and the two girls stand, the mood of the cabin growing serious again. "Why is Kylo Ren after you?" Rey asks. 

He sighs, taking their previous seat with some effort. Growing old on a desert planet never ends happily. Hell, one is lucky to see their forties in most cases. Of course, by then that individual looks in their sixties. As if to punctuate Rey's thoughts, the elder man's joints groin in protest to his movements. "Ben Solo," he says the name slowly, enunciating it as if it were a story in itself — _and it is_, Rey thinks — "and his uncle spent over a decade traveling the galaxy searching for old Jedi artifacts, Sith relics, anything they could to learn more about the Force."

"Ben Solo?" Rose echoes in confusion.

"Yes," Calrissian answers. "The son of the princess, Leia Organa, and the one you call Kylo Ren. But I'm assuming one of you already knew that." His weighted stare settles on Rey and she bites her lip, looking away. Rose's stare follows and Rey finds a very interesting spot of erosion on the grate flooring. It isn't the best way for her friend to discover the general's most kept secret... but the truth cannot stay buried forever. 

However, that isn't the only reason she refuses to face Rose's eyes.

Calrissian carries on. "I helped Luke with a mission he ordered kept secret from Ben. At the time, he'd felt the boy's powers were too unpredictable."

"Did the mission have anything to do with seeking out places of intense power?" Rey asks.

He nods; a careful movement. "Luke wanted to understand the Force for what it was, beyond the ways of the Jedi or the Sith."

"What do you have that the supreme leader wants to badly?" Rose urges.

"Information."

Rey steps closers. "On what?" 

"The location of something Snoke himself was looking for." Calrissian grins smoothly, his eyes hard as flint. "The old bastard might have gotten to Ben, but he never got what he was originally hunting for. He always thought it was Luke who held that information... but it was me."

"And you've been on Pasaana all this time?"

"In hiding." 

Rose folds her arms over her chest. "What was the thing you were after?"

Calrissian shakes his head. "I'm not saying anything else until I can talk with your general." 

Rey and Rose share a glance before her friend uncrosses her arms with an exasperated sigh and wheels on her feet. She disappears into one of the crew quarters with Rey's eyes still on her, a knot of unease in her gut. Who had that voice been at the crucial moment of healing Rose's injury? Why had it helped her? But more importantly, why did the act of saving Rose feel _wrong_? Rey's mind suddenly recalls with glaring clarity the image of Kylo Ren dead at the foot of a black granite throne and her stomach tangles so tight she thinks she'll be sick. 

.

\- o -

.

General Pryde's body slams against the durasteel ceiling as Kylo Ren bursts into the meeting chamber, his shoulders heaving with rage. Pryde's limbs spasm uncontrollably and he grasps at his windpipe, claw marks dragging across his skin. His little assassination attempt had cost Kylo his target and nearly killed Rey in the process. The First Order general would pay for his insolence.

"What is the meaning of this?!" General Hux shouts.

Kylo holds Pryde in place, tightening his Force grip on the man's throat. Spittle drips to the floor and the sound of his sputtering gasps echoes loudly in the room.

Hux rushes forward. "Supreme Leader! What happened?!" 

Ignoring Hux, Kylo eventually drops the other general and strides forward, ripping into his mind before the man has a chance to breathe. Pryde wails pathetically and tries to scramble away from Kylo's phantom grip, but he holds him firm. Panicked officers vacant to the farthest side of the room while General Hux approaches carefully. Kylo disregards them all and weeds through the man's thoughts, reading every morsel of data he can before retracting, disappointed. _It wasn't him. _

"Supreme Leader," Hux repeats carefully. 

_If it wasn't Pryde then..._

Kylo turns suddenly, hoisting Hux off the ground and thrusting him against the opposite wall. His cries of alarm are muffled into sucking coughs as he fights for oxygen. Rending into Hux's mind, Kylo finds his mutual hatred for him, his disdain for Kylo's religious views and his hope that Kylo would somehow become an architect of his own demise, but no whispered plans of an assassination attempt.

He releases Hux, watching the man dispassionately as he hits the ground with blood leaking from his nose. Then, Kylo turns on his heels and heads straight for the cell wing. 

.

\- o -

.

Space is cold, but a First Order Star Destroyer is colder. Finn wraps the chill around his body like a second skin and falls into the rhythm of the ship on instinct. After all, he had spent most of his life aboard one of these ships. He tries his restraints — not as a _prisoner_, though. He wonders briefly if the trooper standing guard is someone he knows. Likely not; he doesn't recognize their stance or demeanor. 

Finn's heart also aches for Rose, his concern only dampened by the certainty that Rey will help her and keep her safe. But he cannot worry over that now. He has more _pressing_ matters to attend to.

Chewie grumbles a few feet away from him, the Wookie's knees uncomfortably bent in order to fit his gargantuan forearms into the binding mechanism attached to the wall. The guards should have put them in an interrogation room for taller prisoners. Finn chuckles at the thought, his derision a breath of fresh air in light of their current conundrum. 

If he hadn't fled a year ago, he would still be among the First Order army, following after the commands of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. Not about to be interrogated by him — which is an _honor_ in and of itself, he supposed. Finn's thoughts turn to the old rumors which ran rampant about Ren's cruelty, how he could rend the truth from an unsuspecting mind like a knife cutting through butter. A year ago, that would have terrified him. Now...

Chewie grunts, more insistent this time. 

"I still can't understand you, ya know." Finn deadpans. 

A third grunt. 

"Oh yes, the weather's quite nice. How's your side of the equator?" 

Chewie's eyes slant at him. 

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Finn gripes.

A huff.

"Hey, I didn't ask you to stay behind for me. Rey is probably spitting mad at us right now. And she'll blame me for you, so count yourself lucky." Finn's expression sours. "You don't get blamed for anything."

Chewie lets loose a string of whiny growls when the door to the room hisses open and in lumbers the supreme leader's imposing shadow, the red scars along his mask nearly glowing in the dim blue light. Under his dragging cloak, his wide shoulders reveal more than his breadth. They reveal a tension Finn well recognizes. Even during Snoke's rule, Ren was known for his violent outbursts. Now, he is the supreme leader. Finn draws in a steadying breath, willing himself to maintain his composure. He will divulge away _any_ information on the Resistance. Not if he can help it. _He'd die first. _

And by the tilt of Kylo Ren's head, the man knows it. He steps up to Finn, mask angling down to observe him. "Where is your Resistance base?" he asks. 

Finn holds his tongue, meeting the visor of Kylo Ren's gaze with hardened eyes.

The other man moves closer. "Do not test my patience."

Finn's eyebrow ticks up, unenthused. He knows the deadly game he plays, but he would rather Ren tear the information from his mind. Let him take it if that's what he wants. "Rumor around the barracks always was that you never had any." Ren looms over him, forcing Finn to crane his neck uncomfortably. "I'm actually impressed you've remained supreme leader _this_ long."

Kylo Ren's right shoulder twitches ever-so-slightly and Finn's eyes skirt down to catch the tight furling of his hand. He recognizes the movement at once. It was the same one from Starkiller when the man had demanded a lightsaber that supposedly belonged to him. His rage had been terrifying then, but Finn remembers why he stood strong. He had something to protect.

"I must offer my praise as well," Ren says smoothly. "I do recall you _running_ a year ago. I suppose even cowards can grow a spine."

_So he has learned to temper his anger._ Finn makes a mental note of that. He's also drawing this out, which isn't like him. Finn recalls how Hux or Snoke would only call upon him in an interrogation when they couldn't get the information even with the most barbaric tactics. Ren would emerge mere moments later triumphant. One stormtrooper had sworn he'd spent no more than five seconds on a man once. Finn can only imagine how creative he has become since taking up Snoke's mantel. 

"Last chance, traitor. Where is your Resistance base?"

Chewie growls angrily from his place, but Ren seems keen to ignore the Wookie's presence entirely. 

Finn smirks, lifting his chin defiantly. Perhaps there is something he would like to _divulge_ to the supreme leader after all. During the chaos on Pasaana, he had witnessed a curious thing which rekindled his suspicions about the day Rey had returned to rescue them on Crait. Now, after witnessing Kylo Ren's exchange with her on the desert planet, his mind finds itself wandering... "You know, Rey never talked about it, but I've always wondered how she snuck aboard a ship like the Supremacy, killed Snoke and then escaped with only minor injuries."

A beat of silence, as if a _reshuffling_ of tactic. "You doubt her Force abilities?"

Deflection.

Finn's smirk breaks into a grin. "You certainly don't, but why not kill her? You had the chance on Pasaana? Why protect her?"

Kylo Ren's body goes perfectly still and Finn can swear the man stopped breathing. 

The stormtrooper at the door shifts their weight from one foot to the other, weapon from one hand to the other. 

And like the breaking of an illusion, Kylo's shoulder jerks. Finn realizes that this is it. Everyone he has ever come to love will be revealed in the next five seconds when Ren's hand snaps up like a whip, fingers splayed like claws. But he is wrong. Finn is so very wrong. The wild spitting crimson of Kylo's lightsaber shrieks to life and Finn realizes he won't have to worry for an execution date.

Chewie roars as Kylo plunges his weapon forward and Finn's heart stops. 

Sparks fly and the scent of burning metal greets his nostrils. 

_Yet I'm still breathing._

Finn blinks, glances to his right and finds the blinding beam of Kylo's lightsaber embedded into the wall, inches from his face. What luck. He feels the bubble of laughter threatening to gurgle up his throat and he hastily swallows it down, looking back to find the black shadow of a man trembling dangerously. Seconds pass with no other movement. In that silence, Finn is struck suddenly by another memory of a desert planet. The night was not so different from Pasaana. More fire perhaps, more death, too.

He fixes Kylo Ren's mute form with a searching glare. "I never fired on those villagers. I disobeyed your direct order. You knew that, yet you let me go.” If Finn had screamed the statement, it wouldn't have carried through the chamber any louder. He watches it seep into Ren's shoulders, rolling them taut and expanding the cage of his ribs like a storm. 

Then, Kylo Ren rips the saber from the wall, extinguishes it and stalks out of the room without another word, his cape billowing behind him. Finn stares after him slack-jawed. Beside him, Chewie makes a noncommittal yet sympathetic grunt and the stormtrooper at the door falls back into their rigid stance.

Ren could have torn the information from his mind, yet he hadn't. He'd simply _left_. Finn frowns, perplexed. _What the hell? What is his endgame?_

Minutes pass and the quiet grows thick. When Finn can no longer stand it, he glances over at the stormtrooper. “What's your name?” he asks.

They ignore him.

He tries again. “You aren't scared to give me your name are you?”

The gambit works. The trooper's helmet jerks, a minuscule movement in Finn's direction. “I’ve no reason to be scared of you.” They retort briskly. _A woman. _

Finn nods, unable to find fault in her statement, and chuckles to himself. “I guess you’re right. I am captured... but at least I'm fighting for something I believe in."

The stormtrooper's spine goes ramrod stiff and she takes a threatening step toward him.

Chewie huffs his own warning, but Finn pushes forward anyway. "You don't have to live like this. I got out. You can, too. If you won't tell me your name, at least tell me your designation. I might be on the opposite side, but we still began the same way. We both know what it's like to not have a choice."

She considers him for a long moment, weapon held limply at her side. "TZ-1719," she answers hesitantly.

Finn offers her a broad smile in return. "See? That wasn't so hard — "

"You're FN-2187, right?" TZ interrupts with a conspiratorial hush. "There are stories about you among the soldiers."

Finn's eyebrows meet his hairline. "Not all bad, I hope."

She chances a step closer, her armor gleaming ice blue in the low light. "They say you single-handedly infiltrated the Supremacy and took it down from the inside. They say you killed Phasma with a single blow. Some even believe it was you who killed Snoke."

"Those are exaggerations — and the one about Snoke isn't even real — but yeah, more or less." His cheeks heat up at the idea of him killing Snoke and he emits an embarrassed cough before continuing. "I didn't go it alone, though. I had help from my family."

She pauses. "Your family?"

"The Resistance. They are where I belong."

Her posture suddenly goes rigid and her tone takes on its mechanical edge again. "You disobeyed your oath to the First Order. You betrayed us." 

The oath. Yes, every child stolen for the stormtrooper program must recite those cursed words ten times a day through training. After a while it becomes like breathing, branded into the human mind like a scar, never to be forgotten. But she can overcome it; they all can. Just like him.

"No, no!" he says hurriedly. "I made a choice, _my own choice_. I found something to fight for, something I can believe for myself and I — "

TZ about-faces and is on him so fast he shrinks back into the chill of the wall. Her next words are curt and final. "My job is to keep guard over you. One more word and I'll be forced to shut that mouth, _permanently_." 

Finn drops his head, defeated, and peers at Chewie. The overgrown Wookie emits a sharp huff and sinks tiredly against his shackles. 

.

\- o -

.

"I've had contact from Rey, General Dameron!" Connix jogs over to him. "They have the target, but Finn and Chewie were captured by First Order forces."

Poe curses. "Alert General Organa on this and assemble a rescue team we — "

"Sir!" another man approaches, his cheeks red with exertion. "Our forces are being attacked off the Kijimi front. They need more pilots."

Poe's teeth grind. Looks like the enemy has found their other HQ. If the Resistance is discovered on Ajan Kloss, they will have nowhere else to run. "Damn it!"

"The ships will be fleeing back to the Kijimi base and the First Order TIES with them. General Hux's army will swarm it." Connix says tersely. "We don't have the numbers to ward them off if that happens."

And they don't have the numbers to spare a team for rescue, either. Poe scratches angrily at the back of his neck. "I'll go with a small rescue squad for Finn and Chewie." he declares. He knows it sounds absurd. He is their general. He cannot leave the helm with pilots readying for attack, yet he also cannot stomach the idea of abandoning Finn and Chewie. 

Connix reads his unease and her eyes soften. "Sir..."

"Yeah, yeah. Just be sure to alert me _the second_ Rey lands. I want her and Rose outfitted asap for the rescue mission."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Again, I use a dictation program. If you see any weird word usage or misspellings, let me know. Remember this story lives on commentary and reviews!**
> 
> **** And to those that like my project [Oathbreaker](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17846252/chapters/42112643), I will try to start updating it again after this rewrite. I've got several original projects I intend to self publish and they are the priority.**


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